'Wrapping them in warmth': Tiny homes in front of Waterloo Region high schools shedding light on homelessness

Throughout the month of November, tiny homes are sitting outside the front doors of five Waterloo Catholic District School Board high schools.

Sheltering Hearts, the tiny home fundraiser, has a goal of raising awareness and money around homelessness in the region.

“It’s really about bringing a sense of community to the homeless and making them feel as though they are part of the entire community,” Kristin Frias, a Grade 11 student at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School, said.

Frias and a handful of other students spent Thursday afternoon painting the outside of the tiny home at their school.

The school board said having the tiny homes on school property gives students and staff, or anyone else walking by, a chance to visualize the exact living conditions of some people in the community who are unhoused.

“It’s been here for a few weeks and it’s just been in the back of my mind all day,” Frias said. “I know a lot of students have asked ‘what’s the green building in the front of our school?’”

It’s also prompting students to talk about it.

“It kind of starts conversations and I think that’s a good thing because then people are more aware of it and it’s kind of a reminder every day,” Grade 11 student Megan Anderson said.

Students are painting patterns that mimic a sweater or blanket on the home to send a message to whoever will live there in future. "It’s kind of like wrapping them in warmth," Grade 12 student Jadyn Morgan explained.

St. Benedict Vice Principal Remberto Roque said they want their students to be aware of the need in the community.

“They can help out and they can do something because there’s such a great need,” Roque said.

“This creates a great opportunity for them to have a safer place to be, and [a reminder] that our community cares.”

At St. Benedict, students are painting specific patterns on the home to symbolize a message to whoever will live there in the future.

“It’s kind of to mimic a sweater or a blanket – a quilted blanket – so it’s kind of like wrapping them in warmth,” Grade 12 student Jadyn Morgan said.

In addition to raising awareness, there’s also a fundraiser going on with the project. Funds will be donated to two local organizations focused on homelessness – A Better Tent City and Bridges.

“It honestly makes my heart really warm and makes me feel really good that I’m making a difference,” Frias said.